Deep Creek cleanup planned

A Deep Creek litter cleanup will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23, in conjunction with Make A Difference Day. Volunteers should meet at the Swain County Recreation Park on West Deep Creek Road at 9 a.m.

Volunteers should wear long pants and boots and should bring work gloves, although extra gloves will be available. In addition, safety vests will be provided. The goal is to clean up West Deep Creek Road from Depot Street downtown to the National Park entrance.

The cleanup is sponsored locally by Love Bryson, the Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center (JCCCC) and Bryson City Bicycles.

Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. In 2009, more than 3 million people volunteered on that day, accomplishing thousands of projects in hundreds of towns.

For more information about the cleanup call Bryson City Bicycles at 828.488.1988 or visit www.brysoncitybicycles.com; Love Bryson at 828.488.6164; or Holly Krake, OJCCCC, at 828.497.8062.

The Naturalist's Corner

Number one daughter had a big camping weekend planned with friends and their families at Lake Chatuge over Labor Day. So we came up with an impromptu plan for Maddie and us. We made reservations at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. We had taken Izzy to the aquarium when she was a tot and she enjoyed it, Maddie had never been so we figured this was a good opportunity.